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| Mr Azu Bosco in an interaction with the "Station Boys" |
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| Conrad Balig, Programmes Manager of Youth Alive |
The Electoral Commission has promised Ghanaians of a more transparent and peaceful electoral process, in the December polls. The EC in line with its set objective has put in place various interventions and processes to avert any electoral malpractices, hence the introduction of the biometric exercise. An officer from the Upper East Regional office of the Electoral Commission John Azu Bosco gave the assurance when he met with some selected station boys at Bolgatanga to educate them on the Biometric Voter Registration and Verification system. Participants were taken through the registration processes and requirements involved in the upcoming exercise slated to take place on March 24 to May 5. The exercise which is said to last for 40 a day period is expected to register 12 million eligible voters. According to Mr Azu Bosco, Ghanaians about the age of 18 and over would be required to prove their nationality as evidence to enable them partake in the voting exercise come December. In this vain, eligible voters are required to show evidence of eligibility by issuing valid ID cards in the form of a national passport, drivers license or a national health insurance card, birth or baptismal certificate , previous vote ID card, or a national identity card. Provision of other required personal data will help prevent double registration and also prevent electoral malpractices because the biometric system identifies persons by means of their unique physical features as finger prints as well as palm and facial appearance. Mr Azu Bosco further explained that those without any of the said ID cards would be required to present guarantors, possibly two eligible voters to prove their nationality. Furthermore, special arrangements would be made for the registration of persons without fingers. Also in the event of applicants having lost some fingers, the finger prints of the remaining fingers would be digitally taken to ensure that they are not disenfranchising during the day of voting. Touching on the wide spread speculation on the influx of foreign nationals determined to take part in the Biometric voters’ registration exercise, Mr Azu Bosco allayed all fears to that effect and assured Ghanaians that such persons poses no threat to the upcoming exercise, stating that the processes involved in the historic exercise would ensure quality data, which would determined the eligibility of voters. The EC, he moreover stressed will work towards ensuring a credible voter’s register and appealed to all Ghanaians to assist in exposing foreign nationals who are not qualified to partake in the exercise. The exercise, he narrated, would be done in clusters, meaning each registration centre will be grouped into four so that the EC would be able to identify and subsequently provide lasting solution to any problem realized during exercise though the EC was satisfied with the outcome of the just ended pilot biometric registration exercise. The workshop organized by Youth Alive, an NGO attracted questions from participants. The Programs Manager of Youth Alive, Conrad K. Balig told Radio Ghana that similar workshops have taken place in Tamale, Wa and Navrongo with the view to sensitizing them to influence other groups to prevent violent tendencies during the impending general elections. The rationale for the forum he explained was to erase the asinine notion that station boys are the vulnerable group easily lured by political parties to cause confusion and mayhem during election time, adding that the forum was to educate them on their roles and forms part of the peace making process.
GBC END IA/
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